This invention relates generally to a garment and landing net combination for use by fishers to withdraw fish from a body of water. More particularly, the invention relates to a garment and landing net combination which includes mating fastener halves for releasably fastening the landing net to the garment.
In general, fishing nets are needed to withdraw fish from a body of water once they have been hooked and reeled in. Thus, a fishing net must be kept nearby When fishing. Although the fisher may lay the net down when fishing from land or from a boat, this is not always possible when fishing in a stream or when walking along a shore while fishing. Further, when traveling to a particular site to fish, the fisher frequently must hike for some distance. For convenience, it is best if the net is fastened to the fisher (or to his or her clothing) in some way so it will not be lost and need not be held in the hand while fishing in a stream or walking.
In the past, fishers have tied the fishing net to an article of clothing such as a vest designed for fishing. One such vest has an elastic tether extending from a tab on the back of the vest adjacent the fisher's neck to the fishing net handle. This permits retrieval of the net when needed but keeps the net against the fisher's back where it does not obstruct his or her casting. However, because the net dangles from the tab, it bumps against the fisher during each step and during each cast. Further, when the fisher needs the net, he or she must reach behind his or her back and blindly find the handle of the net so that he or she can retrieve the net for use. Still further, when the fisher is hiking through underbrush to reach a fishing site, the net will sometimes become caught in brush, thereby requiring that the fisher stop and dislodge the net. If the fisher does not dislodge the net, it can hit the fisher with a significant impact when it becomes dislodged due to the elasticity of the tether. Also, the net may become damaged if not dislodged, thereby requiring repair or replacement.
In an effort to solve some of these problems, the tether has been formed as a loop so the net can be captured in the tether loop when hiking to a fishing site. When captured in the loop, the net is raised above most of the brush so it is less likely to become caught and the effective length of the tether is reduced so that the net does not bump against the fisher's back with as great a force when walking. However, experience has shown that the net occasionally becomes dislodged from the loop during a hike thereby requiring that it be reinstalled in the loop to be effective. Further, once the fisher reaches the site, the net must be taken out of the loop so that it is accessible when needed. Thus, the net still bumps the fisher's back during each step and cast, and is somewhat inconvenient to reach when needed.